Fifth wheel for vehicles



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. W. PELL. EIETE WHEEL EOE VEHICLES.

No. 435,707. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

INVENTUH 'f f f i f En (No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 2.

H. W. PELL. EIETE WEEEE EOE VEHICLES.

No. 435,707. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

ATTOHNE (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. W. PBLL. FIFTH WHEEL EUR VEHICLES.

No. 435,707. i Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

INVENT e We BY MQ] k UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY \V. PELT., OF ROME, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ADELLE M. TELL, OF SAME PLACE.

FIFTH-WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters )Patent No. 435,707, dated September 2, 1890.

Application filed December 24. 1888. Serial No. 294,491. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY XV. PELL, of Rome, in the county of Oneida, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Fifth-gVheel and Perch-Iron, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in ro the running-gear of vehicles, and has for its object a simple, effective, and easily-manufactured construction of the fth-wheel and perch-irons; and to this end it consists, essentially, in a fifth-wheel of novel and peculiar construction, one circle of which is provided with a rearwardly-extending brace or braces or combined perch iron or irons secured to the perch in any desirable manner, and the other circle is provided with a rearzo wardly extending hub pivoted in a novel manner and secured by any desirable means to the axle of the vehicle, which is provided on its under side with a saddle of novel construction pivoted in braces or perch-irons also z 5 secured to the perch. i

It furthermore consists in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more fully'described, and pointed out in the claims.

3o In specifying my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a top plan of the detached cen- 3 5 tral portion of an axle and the forward extremity of a perch with my improved fifthwheel and perch-irons secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l, further illustrating the construction and arrangement of 4o the parts. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line :t 0c, Fig. l. Fig. 4. is a like section taken on line y y, Fig. l, still further illustrating the construction and arrangement of my invention. Fig. 5 is an isometric per- Spective of the axle with the adjacent circle of the fifth-wheel and the saddle on the under side of the axle shown secured thereto, illustrating the detail construction and arrangement of the parts. Fig. (i is an inverted enlarged detached view of the opposite circle of the fifth-wheel, illustrating particularly the central convex segment adapted to register with the cup-shaped cavity formed on the opposite fth -whecl circle. Fig. 7

is an inverted plan view of the upper segment of the fifth-wheel with the perch-iron, which is preferably formed integral therewith. Fig. S is a top plan of the lower circle of the iifth-wheel. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the saddle provided on the underneath 6o side of the axle and secured thereto, illustrating the construction of the same. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section of the lower perch-iron provided with a socket to receive the rearwardly-projecting hub formed on the saddleV secured to the axle. Fig. 11 is a top plan view of Fig. 10. Fig. l2 is a top plan view of the perch-iron, in which is socketed the lower projecting face of the rearwardlyextending hub formed on the saddle secured 7o to the under side of the axle; and Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the construction of my combined fifth-wheel and perch-irons when the same are connected or attached to two porches.

A represents the upper circle of the fifthwheel, secured in any desirable manner to the usual head-block E, to which any suitable or desirable form or construction of springs may be attached in any suitable manner. This 8o upper circle A is formed with oppositely-arranged circles or segments A, rigidly secured together by a saddle A2, provided with a cen? tral convex segment B, projecting rearwardly from the fifth-wheel and formed with an open- 8 5 ing B for the pivotal bolt a and a depending hub c, encircling the journal-opening B and also provided with a rearwardly-extending brace or braces O, secured at its rear extremity C to the perch or perches D. This 9o rearwardly extending brace or combined perch-iron C is preferably concave in crosssection between its points of attachment to the fifth-wheel and the perch and is provided 'with downwardly-extending sides or lugs C2, 95

ineasing the forward extremity of the perch and preferably provided between its points of attachment with depending strengtheningribs, one of which extends transverselyacross the brace O at the forward extremity of the Ico depending sides C2 and forms an abutment for the forward end of the perch. The lower circle F of the fifth-wheel, formed of a like circle or segments F to those of the upper circle connected together by a saddle F2, which is secured to the axle G by suitable clips G or other desirable means of attachment, is provided with a segment l?S of a concaved or cup-shaped annular socket, registering with the convex segment provided on the upper fifth-wheel circle, extending rearwardly from the saddle F2, and provided with a journal-opening?) for the depending hub c of the upper fifth-wheel circle.

On the underneath side of the axle G, which may be of any desirable form or material, I provide the saddle H, secured thereto in any suitable manner and provided with a rearward hub H', having a journal-opening I registering with the like openings in the circles of the fifth-wheel. This hub H is projected upward and downward on either side of the saddle H, and is journaled at its upper portion VI in the socket K, provided on the forwardly-extending perch-iron M, which is also provided with a journal-opening for the pivotal bolt a., and is secured to the under side i of the perch D at its rearwardly-extending portion M by bolts or other suitable means N, which also secure the brace O at its rearwardly-extending portion O', placed directly beneath the portion M of the lower perchiron M. The forward extremity of the lower brace O is provided with a socket O2, fitting around the lower extending portion I2 of the hub H, and is also provided with a journalopening for the pivotal bolt a.

It will be Observed that when the parts are assembled in their relative positions in the running-gear of the vehicle, and the vehicle is cramped to one side, the axle G will be osl cillated or rocked by the socket b, provided in the lower fifth-wheel circle, turning or swinging on the lower projecting hub C of the .upper ifth-wheeLand also by the engagement of the portion I and I2 of the hub H', formed on the saddle H, secured to the axle G. It will be particularly noticed that this movement will occur independently of the pivotal bolt. a, if the separate perch irons or braces have been properly secured upon the perch, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and that the only office of the pivotal bolt a is to render the cramping action more eective by reason of the parts being held closely together. This peculiar construction is especially valuable, because no weakening of the axle and other parts occurs by reason of the insertion'of the usual king-bolt, which must be of suiicient diameter to sustain the strain placed thereon, while in this construction there is substantially no strain at all upon the pivotal bolt, and, by reason of some unforeseen flaw should the bolt become broken, it will be readily seen that the action of the combined fifth-wheel and perch-irons will not be at all affected or `the parts separated, and when the vehicle is -looked over for repairs a new bolt maybe inserted.

It will be noted by reference to Figs. 5, 6,

7, and 8 that the concavo-convex central socket or auxiliary fifth-wheel is constructed of an upper and lower segment. If these parts were constructed of complete circles, a ne fit would be'necessitated, and it would be almost, if not quite, impossible to cast or dropforge them; but by their peculiar construction the circles of the central auxiliary fifthwheel are easily constructed of cast metal or drop-forged with a press and suitable dies, a perfect tit readily obtained, and any outside matter-as dust, lac-which would tend to accumulate therein may be forced outward Vby the cramping of the vehicle. The peculiar construction and formation of the parts-presents the greatest strength at the point needed, forming a simple and effective device, the operation and advantages of which will be readily perceived from the foregoing.

When, instead of a single perch, a vehicle is provided with two or more perches, my pecu- Marly-constructed fifth-wheel may be attached thereto by either forming on the fifth-wheel corresponding perch-irons or slightly altering the construction of the perch-iron.

It will be understood that without departing from the spirit of my invention considerable change may be made in the relative arrangement and detail construction of the parts, and, if desired, according to my previous patent, a suitable truss or bridge may be secured or provided on the upper fifthwheel saddle and the springs attached directly thereto without the use of the head` block, as herein described.

My concavo-convex open-sided central fifthwheel may also be used to great advantage in the ordinary construction of a fifth-wheel by the use of a king-bolt, and accordingly I do not restrictthe same to this my preferred construction of a fifth-wheel.

Having thus fully described my what I claim Vas new, Letters Patent, is-

1. A fifth-wheel having an inner or auxiliary wheel, one of the divisions of which is provided with a cut-out opening to the outside of said inner or auxiliary wheel for allowing the same to clear itself, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A fth-wheel, the upper and lower circles of which are provided with a concentric inner or auxiliary wheel-circle having a cutout on theirperipheries, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. Y

3. The combination of -a forwardly-extend: ing perch-iron secured at one point to the perch and at the other to a division of the fifth-wheel, and a division of an inner or auxiliary wheel formed upon said fifth-wheel division and provided with acut-out in its periphery, with an axle, the opposite division invention, and desire to secure by of the fifth-wheel circle mounted thereon, and the opposite division of the inner or auxiliary IOO Wheel formed upon said ifth-wheel division secured to the axle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a forwardly-extending perch-iron secured at One extremity to the perch and provided at the other with a division of the fifth-Wheel and a central pivotal segment B, with an axle having secured thereto the opposite division of the iifth- Wheel, and a segment of a concave socket F3, provided upon the latter ifth\vheel division, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

5. A fifth-wheel for vehicles, composed of two parts, one of said parts having oppositelyarranged segments on its extremities and a cup-shaped Open-sided central socket, and the other having corresponding segments and a central bearing turning in the cupshaped socket and a connection to the perch-iron, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A drop-perch having a brace formed concave in cross-section and provided at its extremity with one division of a tifth-wheel and aprojecting central bearing B, in combination with an axle, the opposite division Of the lftlrwheel mounted upon said axle, and the open-sided socket F3, also mounted upon said axle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The fth-Wheel circles Of a vehicle provided With a cnt-out on their peripheries and formed with inner auxiliary circles, also provided with a cut-out on their peripheries, one of which auxiliary circles is formed with a rearwardly-extending brace secured to the perch, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. A fifth-Wheel composed of overlying cir cles Or divisions, an Open-sided central socket or auxiliary Wheel concavO-convex in crosssection formed upon one division, and a central bearing provided upon the opposite division and pivotally bearing upon said socket, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

9. The combination of a .iifthwvheel co1nposed Of circles, one of which is mounted on the axle and provided with a socket F3, having a portion of its side Wall eut out and the other being secured to the perch-iron and provided with a central bearing riding in the socket F3, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

l0. In combination, one division ofthe fifth- Wheel secured to the axle and provided with a central open-sided socket, the other division of the fifth-wheel secured upon a perchiron and provided with a central bearing pivoting in the open-sided socket, with a saddle secured to said axle and provided with a hub at the rear of the axle, and a perch-iron enibracing said hub, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

1l. T he combination of the fifth-wheel circle A, provided with a rearwardlyextending brace C, secured to the perch of a vehicle, a hub c, depending from said circle, alike fifth- Wheel circle F, having a journal-Opening b to receive the depending hub c, with a saddle H, having a rearwardly-projecting hub H', and braces socketed or capped over said hub H and secured to the perch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l 2. The combination of the fifth-Wheel circle A, provided with a rearwardly-extending brace C, secured to the perch of a vehicle, the hub c, depending from said circle, a like fifth-Wheel circle F, having a journal-Opening b for receiving the depending hub c, with a saddle -l-I, having a rearward hub H', a brace socketed or capped over said hub H and secured to the perch, a journal-Opening extending through said perch-iron, ahub H', a like journahopening in the hub c, and a pivotal bolt Ct for securing said parts, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto signed my name, in the presence of tivo attesting Witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 27 th day of October, 1888.

HENRY NV. PELL. Y Witnesses:

CLARK H. NORTON, A. E. PARSONS. 

